Shipping-receptacle.



onirica.

JOHN M. RICHENS, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

SHIPPING-RECEPTAGLE.

Application lediDecember 31,1915. Serial No. 69,641,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known' that I, JOHN M. RICH'nNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Receptacles, of which the following is'a specification,

This invention relates to receptacles adapted to transport fragilearticles, such as eggs, fruit and the like, more particularly forshipping such articles or products in the mails under parcel post rules,and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increasethe efficiency of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhereby each article shipped is separately disposed and protected frompressure from the outside or from contact of one of the articles withthe other, and in which the contents are readily accessible withoutdestroying any of the parts of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characteradapted more particularly for the shipment of eggs and in whichprovision is made for the ready removal of any individual egg withoutdisturbing the remaining eggs. A

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the, claims; and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is aperspective view of the im proved device complete;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower or body portion of the improveddevice;

Fig. 3 is a-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. a is a section on the line 4-4 Fig. 2;

Figs. Sand (iv are perspective views of portions of the` main divisionmembers of the improved device;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detached perspective views of the marginal eggretaining members;

Figs. 9 and 10 are detached perspective views of the intermediate eggretaining Amembers g Fig. 11 is\a\s,ectiona1 detail illustratingSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

the manner of forming the Ventilating perforations;

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail illustrating the arrangement of the devicefor holding a plurality of layers of eggs or other products.

' Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The improved' device includes a lower receptacle or body portion, aplurality of transverse division members, a plurality of egg retainingmembers supported by the division members, holding members for the ends-of the eggs, and spacer members between the bottom and the divisionmembers and likewise between the top and the division members. The loweror body portion of the casing is represented as a. whole at 10 andconstructed preferably of paper,

each wall being formed of two thicknessesof paper or card-board spacedapart and maintained in spaced relation by members preferably of paperbent into corrugated or flute-like form, as illustrated at 11. Thebottom, sides and ends of the portion 10 of the device are preferablyconstructed from a single sheet of the material above described with theterminals of the sides overlapping the ends, as illustrated at 12, andsecured by rivets or like fastening devices 13. By this means the majorportions of the ends of the device are formed with two l top arepreferably nearly as high as the lsides of the casing, as indicated inFig. l,

so that the casing is amply protected by the side walls of the topandthe. sides and ends of the receptacle practically increased inthickness by the side walls of the top.

Bearing upon the ,bottom of the body of the receptacle is a plate-likemember, represented as a whole at 19 and provided with upwardly directedV-sliaped ribs 20 preferably formed integral with the member 19. Bearingupon the inner face of the top 14 is a simlar member 21 having V-shapedribs 22. Each of the members 19 and 2l is preferably formed from a sheetof card board and the ribs 2O and 22 formed integral therewith byscoring the card-board and bending the ribs along the scores.

Another sheet 23 of yieldable material, preferably card-board, islocated within the casing and in Contact with the ribs 20, while asimilar sheet 2l of yieldable material, preterably cardboard, is locatedwithin' the casing and in engagement with the ribs 22. Each of thesheets Zwl is formed with a plurality of clefts preferably in Xshape, asshown at 25 in Fig. 2, to form a plurality of points which may be bentslightly out vvard by contact with the eggs or other articles, two ofwhich are represented conventionally at 26, as hereafter' more fullyexplained.

Located within the lower or body portion l() of the receptacle are aplurality of division members 27-28, the division menibers 28 extendinglongitudinally of the receptacle while the division members 2? extend t'ansversely of the receptacle. The members 2?- `28 are provided withgains or clefts 2930 which interengage and support the members inposition spaced at equal intervals and thus forming a plurality olfpockets or recesses, -as illustrated in Fig. 2. The members 27-28correspond in width to the distance between the members so'that when theparts are assembled, as shown in Figs. 3 and el, the closure lit willcompress all ot the parts in close relation and prevent rattling ordisplacement. The outer members QT-QS, it will be noted, are. spacedsomo distance from the inner walls ot the receptacle, thus providing aprotecting space between the pockets and the walls of the casing. Bythis means the contents of the pockets are protected from concus sionfrom surrounding' objects. llach of the pockets provided with oggprotecting members or cushion devices fori'ncd as shown in Figs. 7, S. 9and l0. The members 2T are each provided with an intermediate up`wai-diy opening' gain or cleft 3l mid-way ol cach of the pockets toreceive and support the cushion members for the eggs or olher arlicleswhen deposited within the pockets. The cushion members `for the outersides of the terminal pockets are illustrated in Figs. 7 und 8 and eachconsists of sheets li1-i`:\, the sheet 3Q having a lower gain Ill tocoacl. with the gains 3l of the terminal ineinbers 27 and likewiseprovided with a shorter gain or cleft 35 ro coact with a longer gain 36in the member 33. 'lf'he longer lrain 3G also coacts with the gain 3l oithe terminal men'ibers 27 and thus holds the members A the memberBEsTAvAiLAeLE @Op 32-33 in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the outerportions 37-38 of the member 32-33 extending into the space between themembers 27 and the end walls of the receptacle. `Formed in the upperedge of ,each of the members 32 isa relatively7 large recess 39, while asimilar recess l() is formed in the upper edge of each of the membersOther cushion members are arranged to coact with the intermediatemembers 27 and are formed as illustrated at -vll-l in Figs.

9 and 10. Each of the members 4l is provided with a downwardly openinggain orcleft 43 and a shorter upwardly opening cleft or gain ll, whileeach of the members Ll2 is provided with a relatively long down wardlyopening,r gain 45. The members #l1- l2 are thus adapted to beinterlocked and cross each other substantiallyr at right angles with thegains courting with the gains Lll of the members 27 to support thecushion members ell-l2 in the position rfiown in Fig. 2.. The membersl2- 33 and 41-42 are normally straight, represented in the major portionof Fig. Q, but when the egg or like article 2G is deposited within thepocket the cushion members will be bent slightly out ard as illustratedat the upper left hand portion of Fig. 2, and thus produce a pressureagainst the egg to support it in position. The members -llv--lly areeach provided with recesses Jfl--l7 similar to the recesses 39e-l0 otthe members B2-33 and coacling therewith, as illustrated in Fig. Q, toexpose the upper portion of; the egg., to enable them to be readilyremoved b v the lingers without disturbing the cushion members. This isan important feature ol applicantsl device and adds materially to itsvalue and elliciency and convenience ot" inserting and ren'ioring theeggs or other ai licles.

l ln assembling the parts ol' the device. the guard member 221 is lirstlocated in position and then the united division niclnbcrs. togetl'icrwith the cushion members, assembled and deposited within the recclitaclewith the lower edges of the division members in contact or bciringl uponthe member Q3. "l`hc eggs or other articles are then deposited iu thepockets aud l'orced dowii\\'ai'dly to cause them to distort the cushionmembers, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The upper guard member 2l is thendisposed in position over the upper edges ot the. division members andthe cover applied, the downward pressure of the cover Yforcing the ribsagainst 2l and crowding it slightly over the upper ends ot the eggs andlikewise crowding the lower ends ot the eggs against thetongue-like'portions of the member 23 and slightly curving themdownwardly and like curving` 'he longue-like portions 34e uiwardly astllustratcd in Fig. 3 at the right. ily this means a vsullicient piYassure is applied to the sides and the ends of the .eggs to hold themfrom lateral displacement ed with any required number of the pockets.`The improved device is adapted more partieularly t'o the shipment ofeggs and ike fragile articles by mail under the parcel post rule, butmay be employedfor shipment by express or otherwise.

The plates 19-21 are referably secured to the bottom and top otp thereceptacle by cementing or otherwise, and perforated as shown at ll8-49,the perforations of the plates registering withl the perforations .17-18of the top and bottom. In practice the perforations in the top andbottom and the plates are punched through the confronting members afterthe are united, with the edgest of the materia curved inwardly asillustrated 'in Fig. 11, and thus materially increasing the strength andstiffness of the parts. The ventilating perferations are located tocommunicate with each end of each compartment or pocket, as shown.

The improved device may be arranged to hold. a plurality of layers ofeggs or other products7 as shown in Fig. 12.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isa- 1. lIna shipping receptacle, division members formed into va plurality ofpockets to receive the articles to be shi pcd and having elefts in theirwalls internie iate the pockets, and :i plurality ol cushion membersdisposed obliquelv to the walls of the oekets having elefts enacting.Ywith the c efts of said division members and provided with upwardlyopening recesses in their lupperedges. t n

2. In a shipping receptacle, an inclosing casing including side wallsand top and bottom members, a plurality of d ivision'mem` bers withinthe casing and -formed into a plurality of pockets to receive thearticles to be shipped, and a plurality of cushion members Within thepockets disposed diagonally of the Walls of the pockets and at oppositesides of the articles therein and each having an upwardly opening recessin its upper edge.

3. In a shipping receptacle, aninclosing casing including side Walls andtop and bottom members, a plurality of division mem-- bers within thecasing and formed into a plurality of pockets to receive the articles tobe shipped, a plurality of cushion members within the pockets atopposite sides of the articles therein and each having 'an upwardlyopening recess in the upper edge,

and a plurality of guard members of yieldable material havingintersecting clefts and bearing against the ends of the articles Withinthe pockets.

4. In a shipping receptacle, division members formed into a plurality ofpockets to receive the articles t be shipped and having clefts in theirwalls intermediate the pockets, and a plurality of cushion members`disposed obliquely to thewalls of the pockets and having clefts eoactingwith the said division members, the inner terminals of thecushion-members engaging the inner faces of the division members.

5. In a shipping receptacle, an inclosing casing including side wallsand top and bottom members, plates bearing respectively against theinner faces of said top and bottom members, said top and bottom membershaving Ventilating pei'forations formed therethrough and the edges ofthe perforations bent inwardly to lock the'members toetliei' siacinfrribs carried b said lates vuard members of yieldable material bearingrespectively upon said ribs, and a plurality of division members withinthe casing and formed into a pluralityof pockets to receive the articlesto be shipped and bearing between the guard members.

In testimony whereof, I allx my signa.-

ture.

JOHN M. RICHENS. [Ls]

